Blank for box production



Aug. 18, 1953 c. GILBERT BLANK FOR BOX PRODUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 13, 1947 INVENTOR. (2 m: L 6/4515??? C. L. GILBERT BLANK FOR BOX PRODUCTION Aug. 18, 1953 Filed Oct. 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 62 1'05 A. Gllfiffii.

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Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE This invention; relates to paper board box structures which may be of the display type and tiltable for content display.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide in a knock down glued box certain readily severable connecting portions whereby high speed gluing can be eifected without box cocking.

Another feature resides in the non-separation of box bottom forming portions prior to gluing for effecting square folding of the blank preliminary to the gluing thereof, whereby the folded parts do not distort from their desired relative positions, heretofore a universal accompaniment of same due to inertia of parts, speed of blank advance, etc., as well understood inv the box making art.

Such non-separation feature is peculiarly effective when the height or depth of the box is appreciably less than half the length or width of the box whichever is less.

A further feature of the invention resides in the semi-automatic interlocking of bottom forming parts when disposed beyond closure formation and subsequent release to closure forming position.

Other objects and features of the invention will be setforth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bottom and front of the box in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of such box in opened and display position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the box blank.

Fig. 4 is a view looking at the bottom of the box in locked condition.

Reference will first be had to Fig. 3. Herein Id indicates a box front cut away at Illa. Sides II are hinge connected to the sides of the box and/or front and to one of said sides there is hingedly connected a back I2 which is provided with a glue flap I3.

Each of the sides I I at its top edge includes an inwardly directed, hingedly connected, article retaining flap M. Bottom forming side flaps I5 are provided on the bottom edges of the sides 5 I. Bottom forming end flaps I5 and I! are provided on the bottom edges of front I0 and back I2, re-

spectively, each of said portions being notched at the remote corners as at I61; and Na, respectively, to form locking tongues receivable by the angle like slits 58 in each of portions I5.

. The foregoing, together with partially divided and foldable top I9a-I9b, hingedly connected to back 52 and provided with hingedly connected front closing flap 2! comprises the box selected for exemplary purposes, which box as so far described is old in the art.

Herein each bottom side flap I5, however, is provided with an elongated slit or slot 2| substantially coincident with the side hinge, the said. slots being intermediately disposed. Likewise, each bottom end fiap I6--I'I at the notched ends includes inwardly directed scored creases itb and Ill) having spaced knife slits, respectively, defining triangular portions I60 and Ho, respectively. End If is also slit as at I'Id.

As will be observed in Figs. 3 and 4, each of the angular slits I8 terminates in inwardly directed slits at right angles thereto, the outer such inwardly directed slit being longer than the opposed inwardly directed slit, whereby the stock embraced by the slits will flex about a line between the free ends of the inwardly directed slits will extend at an angle to the slits I8. This arrangement facilitates the projection therethrough of the tongue formations adjacent the notches indicated at I6a. and IIa respectively in the manner hereinafter described. Thus, when the box is erected the bottom forming side flaps I5 are depressed in angular relation when the bottom forming end flaps I6, Il are forced downwardly until their tongue formations snap over the slits I8. The angularly directed flexing portion of the stock embraced by the slits bends at the proper angle to accommodate the depressed angular relation of said side flaps. This arrangement causes the tongue formations to slide through the slots as the bottom forming end flaps are released and the side flaps return to their normal positions. This results in a very rapid and positive interlocking of bottom flaps in setting up the box.

The box shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is formed from the blank illustrated in Fig. 3 by initially applying glue to the flap I3 and then lapping the other end of the blank thereover. The blank is thus doubled upon itself and the user opens it into its generally rectangular form and interconnects the bottom forming portions.

Since this blank provides for relatively shallow boxes and since the ends and sides are quite narrow, see Fig. 3, in the automatic gluing, folding, and securing operations cocking is usual, resulting in a union not exactly square. This results in bottom buckling, etc., and requires more care and time in erection.

To avoid this most prevalent difiiculty with its attendant objections, etc., the sequentially arranged bottom forming flaps L46, [5 and normally initially independent of each other, herein are formed and initially joined with readily severable ties 9 as indicated in Fig. 3.

Such ties, accordingly, hold the bottom forming flaps together in sequential relation so that following glue application to glue flap I3, the automatic folding, for securing, is a square fold. This permits perfect high speed automatic gluing of shallow box blanks. These ties remain unbroken until the box is erected, thus also facilitating the initial erection step, arranging the blank in tubular form, etc., by the purchaser.

When so arranged, the ties are readily pressure severable as the side flaps iiiare turned inwardly towards each other and the end flaps l5 and I? are similarly turned to exteriorly lap the side flaps i5 and be pushed down or inwardly to interlock therewith.

To reinforce and maintain the blank in prop shape during the gluing operation, and facilitate erection of the box structure, the bottom forming side and end flaps i5, IE, i? are firmly joined together by the triangular portions or flaps its and Ho through both the severable ties 9 and knifed score creases as indicated at 9a and Ifib. This structure firmly maintains the box square not only during the gluing operation but in the tubular forming of the blank into the knockdown fiat box structure, as Well as during its erection. During erection the ties S are broken away so as to free the bottom side and end flaps from each other. The triangular flap portions its, We are caused to flex about the knifed core line while serving as a side bearing and guiding portion. as said end flaps are forced against the side flaps until the tongues register with and slide into slits E3. The knifing of the scored lines ifib, lib forming the spaced slits increases the flexibility of these triangular web portions S0 that they will not too greatly resist the depressing and interlocking action during erection.

cm the foregoing it will be observed that a this structure, and particularly one formed ght flexible stock and of small size, will not become distorted or cooked during the gluing oporation such as to throw the blank out of square. The ties a, through the triangular web portions its, the highly flexible knifed score lines lfib, Nb, and highly flexible stock of which the box is formed will be held square. This is an essential feature in the production of boxes of this character which. are generally run through the gluing machines at a high rate of speed such as 19,030 to 20,609 per hour.

The invention claimed is:

l. A blank for forming a collapsible box of paper stock, including an elongated series of alternate side and end wall sections joined at score lines, a glue flap extending outwardly from one of said sections as a continuation of the elongated series of alternate side and end wall sections to receive an application of glue for ad- 4 hering it to the free end of the far section when said blank is formed into a collapsible tube for box erection, a second and adjoining elongated series of alternate bottom forming side and end flaps hingedly connected at a score line with said sections respectively, said bottom forming side flaps each having spaced tongue receiving slits, said tongue receiving slits being angularly related transversely of the direction of movement of said tongues in entering said slits, and terminating at each end thereof in inwardly directed slits extending at right angles thereto, the near end slits being of less length than the far end slits whereby the stock embraced by said slits will flex along a line extending at an angle to the tongue receiving slits, and opposed.

locking tongues notched from the free edges of said bottom forming end flaps respectively for registry and interlocking engagement with said slits when erected, said side and end flaps being severed throughout the greater portion of their adjoining edges, and wherein a creased score line extends at an angle to the partially severed line between said side and end flaps and within said end flaps from each inner corner thereof outwardly to the inner portion of each notched out looking tongue, forming a triangular web portion between adjacent side and end flaps, adapted to be bent on said angularly disposed score line upon said flaps being forced into interlocking position.

2. A blank for forming a collapsible box of paper stock, including an elongated series of alternate side and end wall sections joined at score lines, a glue flap extending outwardly from one of said sections as a continuation of the elongated series of alternate side and end wall sections to receive an application of glue for adhering it to the free end of the far section when said blank is formed into a collapsible tube for box erection, a second and adjoining elongated series of alternate bottom forming side and end flaps hingedly connected at a score line with said sections respectively, said bottom forming side flaps each having spaced tongue receiving slits, said tongue receiving slits being angularly related transversely of the direction of movement of said tongues in entering said slits, and terminating at each end thereof in inwardly directed slits extending at right angles thereto, the near end slits being of less length than the far end slits whereby the stock embraced by said slits will flex along a line extending at an angle to the tongue receiving slits, and opposed locking tongues notched from the free edges of said bottom forming end flaps respectively for registry and interlocking engagement with said slits when erected, said side and end flaps being severed throughout the greater portion of their adjoining edges, and wherein a creased score line extends at angle to the partially severed line between said side and end flaps and within said end flaps from each inner corner thereof outwardly to the inner portion of each notched out looking tongue, forming a triangular web portion between adjacent side and end flaps, adapted to be bent on said angularly disposed score line upon said flaps being forced into interlocking position, said angularly disposed score line being formed with alternate knife-cut slits to increase the flexing of the said triangular web portion.

CLYDE L. GILBERT.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 490,167 Schmidt Jan. 17, 1893 5 49 430 634,645 Knobloch Oct. 10, 1899 2 271243 953,132 Fisher Mar. 29, 1910 2298897 1,041,285 Holly 001'. 15, 912 2 335 3 1,282,573 Hayden et 21. Oct. 12, 1913 2361603 1,761,232 Powell June 3,1930 10 2400443 7,755,104 Shearer June 17, 1930 2402062 1,933,492 Miller Nov. 24, 1931 2450941 1,976,973 Whitehead Oct. 16, 1934 2,053,357 Weiss Sept. 3, 1936 2,089,067 Myers Aug. 3, 1937 15 Number 2,154,950 MacDonald Apr. 18, 1939 98,558

6 Name Date Rutledge Oct. 10, 1939 Daly Mar. 8, 1941 Greek Apr. 8, 1941 Lambert July 15, 1941 Barker Jan. 2'7, 1942 Myers Oct. 18, 1942 Steam Nov. 30, 1943 Cohen et a1 Oct. 31, 1944 Stopper May 14, 1946 Magill June 11, 1946 Crane Oct. 12, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Austria, Nov. 25, 1924 

